


A Shadow of Who I was

by rathofprivendor



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka-centric, Anakin-centric, Assassination, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, Gen, Murder, Vigilantism, split POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26244517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rathofprivendor/pseuds/rathofprivendor
Summary: A routine mission goes wrong, changing the lives of Ahsoka and Anakin forever.
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 30





	1. Fortress on Falleen

Ahsoka  
The shuttle rumbled under Ahsoka’s feet as she looked out at the forest-filled expanse of Falleen. The day was peaceful and even from this height she could hear the sounds of life down below. Her master beside her yelled out a warning of “5 minutes until dropoff!” She gripped the leather strap tighter.   
Her stomach felt as if it was in knots, as always before a mission. No matter how many missions she went on, she knew there was a danger to it. Just a month ago one of the padawans she was in a clan with as a youngling was killed on a routine mission. She couldn’t afford to get cockey. This wasn’t a game; it was war. Anakin nudged her, “Remember the plan?”  
“A plan? You just said we’re kicking some ass, blowing shit up, and saving the day.”  
“Right. So you know the plan.”  
“How could I forget? It’s the only thing close to a plan that we ever have.” She rolled her eyes.  
“No need to get snippy, young one,” he admonished with a smirk. She could have sworn Rex behind her snickered but he passed it off as a cough. Ahsoka would never tell Anakin to his face since his ego was already huge, but the banter before missions really helped her nerves. It also reminded her that she wasn’t alone and that her master had her back.   
The seperatist base rolled into view- a large gray building surrounded by high walls with turrets. The walls were impossible to breech from the ground without risking heavy casualties, resulting in the aerial infiltration. Intel had said valuable information may be logged in the computers so the council had asked them to refrain from explosives… at least until the information was safely backed up. Then they had the go-ahead to blow it all to kingdom come.   
Ahsoka adjusted the backpack full of explosives and prepared to leap into the fortress. Anakin yelled, “On my count! Three,” Ahsoka gulped. “Two,” She let go of the strap. “One,” She bent her knees. “Jump!” Years of training and experience meant this wasn’t Ahsoka’s first time just jumping out into a freefall but her stomach dropped all the same. A rush of cold air hit her face and she called on the force. Her descent slowed, and she ended in a perfect roll, her lightsaber lit. behind them, shuttle after shuttle of clones dropped- enough to hopefully overwhelm the enemy forces.   
The battle droids milling around the compound jumped into action, opening fire on them. Ahsoka’s training took over and she began reflecting bolts back using pure instinct. Anakin signalled her with two fingers and the two jedi booked it to the doors of the facility with the wave of clones providing cover. They raced down the hallway, slashing any droids they came across on their way. When they reached a fork they skidded to a stop.   
“Master, we should split up. I’ll take this path and set the charges. You get the info.” Anakin’s eyebrows were furrowed and he seemed torn.  
“No, it’s safer if we stick together. We’ll just take a bit longer.”  
“It’ll waste time the troops might not be able to give us. Trust me, Master. I can do this.” Anakin seemed reluctant but he nodded, understanding how important time was.   
“Be safe, Snips. And comm me if you run into trouble.” With a nod and a small smirk, Ahsoka took off down the left hallway where the plans said the power grid would be. A left, a right, and a short jump down a lift shaft later, she dropped on top of the main reactor. A couple battle droids below her took notice.  
“Ahhh! A Jedi!”  
“Oh no! What do we do?”  
“We shoot her, dumbass.”  
“Ok that’s not very ni-” The droid was cut off with a lightsaber to the head and his buddy followed soon after. If she wanted to avoid the reinforcements she would need to make this quick. Ahsoka slung the pack off her shoulder. She reached in and pulled out a handful of charges, placing them on the main reactor.   
Ahsoka artfully set the remaining charges on what she felt would be the most explosive. A barrel of battery acid? Absolutely. A super important looking control panel? Definitely. The vent system? Eh why not. There’s no such thing as a seppie base being too demolished.   
After setting the charges she dashed to a nearby hallway to get out of the open and comm her master. “Charges are set. I set the timer to 10 minutes so hurry up, slowpoke.”  
“Copy that. Good job. Information has been downloaded and I’m heading back now.”  
“Race ya. Bet I’ll win. You have been slowing down with old age, ma-” She was cut off by pressure against her throat. She instinctively reached and felt the rough skin of an arm squeezing her neck as her back slammed against a torso. A click and the feeling of cold metal against skin told her the captor had a gun held to her head.  
“Snips? Do you read me?” From beside her Ahsoka felt a warm breath and a gravelly voice rasped,  
“Ahsoka can’t come to her comm right now.” Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold. She would know that voice anywhere. It had been haunting her since the holocron incident. Cad Bane. She could hear her master yelling from her com, begging her to answer him, but at the moment she was more concerned with the lack of oxygen due to the pressure against her trachea.   
She tried to reach out to the force to give her just a breath but couldn’t focus. The edges of her vision were slowly dimming and she was vaguely aware of being dragged down the hallway. Her last coherent thought before completely passing out was ‘kriff only 7 more minutes until the whole place explodes’.  
\---------------------------  
Anakin  
Anakin stared at his apprentice, concerned. He had just called out a five minute warning before they jumped down onto Falleen’s surface and Ahsoka looked contemplative and a little frightened. Anakin knew what it could be like to get stuck in your own head before a mission and it was never good. He nudged her and she looked up at him, her big blue eyes reminding him how young she was- a child soldier. “Do you remember the plan?” A brief flash of panic before she gave him a sassy look.  
“A plan? You just said we’re kicking some ass, blowing shit up, and saving the day.” Anakin grinned. He was such a genius.  
“Right. So you know the plan.”  
“How could I forget? It’s the only thing close to a plan that we ever have.” She rolled her eyes at him. Well, that plan has worked many times in the past. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. He smirked and mock-glared at Ahsoka.  
“No need to get snippy, young one.” Behind him, Anakin heard a snicker from Rex. So obviously Rex wasn’t just an amazing captain he also had an impeccable sense of humor. Anakin made a mental note to try again to promote Rex. Ahsoka turned back to the landscape but she looked happier and her force signature was much lighter. Anakin saw the gray of the fortress in the distance and quickly did calculations in his head of when everyone would need to jump. Unfortunately, Rex had a jetpack so there would be no throwing of his favorite captain. “On my count!” He yelled. “Three, two, one, jump!”   
For a brief moment, he was weightless. Then Anakin slowed his descent and landed in a low crouch. He ignited his lightsaber and blocked laser bolts coming towards him, rebounding them to their source. A few droids fell and he internally congratulated himself. Anakin held out the signal to advance and the troopers behind him changed formation. They held back the oncoming droids as the two Jedi ran for the fortress door. A few droids tried to stop them but Anakin and Ahsoka made quick work of them. Anakin was about to propose another competition on who could destroy the most droids by the end of the mission. He hoped that the game would help lighten the mood. However, as he was about to propose the game, they reached a split path and Ahsoka proposed splitting up.  
It wasn’t that Anakin didn’t believe in his padawan’s abilities. He did. But she was a kid and he needed to protect her. A part of him resented the council for making a teenager fight in a war. At least he was an adult when the Clone Wars started. “No, it’s safer if we stick together. We’ll just take a bit longer.”  
“It’ll waste time the troops might not be able to give us. Trust me, Master. I can do this.” He did trust her. And his men needed them to make this quick. He really really didn’t want to let her go off on her own without any of his men accompanying her.  
“Be safe, Snips. And comm me if you run into trouble.” As she ran off, something inside of Anakin screamed at him to run after her, tell her he changed his mind, and insist she stay by his side. But he let her go and focused on his own mission. He turned right and ran towards the research and development area.  
The stolen plans of the fortress were a little outdated so Anakin ended up bursting into supply closets multiple times. He was grateful none of his men were there to see that happen. He eventually found the research and development department. There were very few droids, making this an easy mission. ‘Almost too easy,’ a paranoid voice in his head murmured. Anakin told it to shut up.   
He had been having dreams again. They were like the ones before his mom died. Ahsoka would scream for him and he would try his best but he never made it in time. He had tried to talk to Obi-wan about it but Obi-wan had just brushed them off as nightmares. Maybe Obi-wan was right though and they were just nightmares. He hoped Obi-wan was right.  
Anakin quickly disabled the security and plugged in the data storage, waiting for it to download. The download progress bar was filling agonizingly slow. Finally, a little ding sounded and Anakin grabbed the data storage, tucking it into a pouch on his belt. As if on cue, his comm flashed and Ahsoka’s voice rang out.  
“Charges are set. I set the timer to 10 minutes so hurry up, slowpoke.” Anakin hadn’t realized how worried he was until he heard her and it felt like a weight was lifted. The hard part was over and he would see her soon.  
“Copy that. Good job. Information has been downloaded and I’m heading back now.” Anakin turned and began to make his way through the hallway leading out of the research and development department.  
“Race ya. Bet I’ll win. You have been slowing down with old age, ma-” Panic rose up in Anakin’s chest as it cut off.   
“Snips? Do you read me?” Maybe the connection was bad. It didn’t mean she was in trouble. Anakin wasn’t sure he believed himself. His naive optimism shattered when Cad Bane’s voice replied.  
“Ahsoka can’t come to her comm right now.” Red hot anger coursed through his veins, replacing the cold fear. His voice came out as a snarl.  
“Bane. Let. Her. Go. Ahsoka, are you okay? Ahsoka, answer me!” There was no answer. The comm was silent. Fueled by rage, Anakin ran towards the landing area where Bane most likely was. It was on the other side of the fortress closer to where Ahsoka had ended up so Bane had a head start. Anakin ran as fast as he could, using the force to propel him. He cursed himself for letting her out of his sight


	2. Bane's Bounty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on is when the warnings come into play. If any of the warnings can harm you, please do not read this story

Ahsoka  
When she finally gained consciousness, Bane was finishing snapping a collar around her neck. The familiar weight of her lightsaber and shoto was gone and her comm was under Bane’s feet. His voice growled, “try anything and I shock you with enough electricity to kill a Bantha.” She might be worth more alive but Ahsoka knew there was still a hefty bounty on her dead- the consequence of taking down so many criminals. In the underbelly of Coruscant alone, enough criminals were pissed at her to drive up a combined reward of over 700,000 credits. Bane yanked her onto the ramp of his ship.   
They were just outside the walls of the fortress, vines obscuring the ship from view. The second they were inside he snapped to the sketchy looking Falleen male, “take off already!” As the ship shuddered and began to rise, Cad Bane shoved her into a small holding cell. She slammed shoulder-first against the back wall as he activated the lazer wall in the front.   
The holding cell looked out on the cockpit. She could see the ground beginning to get further away. Then the charges activated. As the compound imploded in on itself, the Falleen behind the controls gunned it. Despite the distraction of the explosion, the republic ships took notice. Hope grew inside Ahsoka as the ship trembled once, twice, then a third time as it was hit.   
Maybe the ship would go down and maybe she, in the reinforced holding cell, would be reunited with her master. He would probably hug her in relief before scolding her about being aware of her surroundings. She would agree and then sass him a little and he would pretend to look offended but she would see the relief and maybe a little pride in his eye. But instead the ship continued its trajectory. None of the hits took out anything too important- a backup engine and two guns according to the Falleen.   
As the ship left the atmosphere and entered hyperspace, she had a sinking feeling that she would never see that planet again. In the cockpit, she watched the Fallen smirk proudly to Cad Bane. In reply, Bane took out his blaster and shot the man in the head. The Jedi might value every life but Ahsoka couldn’t say she felt the least bit sorry for the man. He knowingly worked with a ruthless bounty hunter and seemed all too willing to assist him in kidnapping a teenager.   
Of course Cad Bane would kill him. It wasn’t like Bane was known for willingness to share bounties. However, as Bane switched on autopilot she began to wish for the buffer the pilot had provided. She especially wished for him when Bane stood in front of the holding cell, a sinister smirk on his face. “Alone together at last. Oh I’ve missed you.” She narrowed her eyes at him, the corners of her mouth folding down in a scowl.  
“Kriff you.” By some miracle her voice hadn’t betrayed the fear she felt in that moment. She hadn’t forgotten how Bane had stared at her with a hunger in his eyes during their last meeting. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with him. He gave her a smile that left a sick feeling in her stomach.  
“Now that is no way to talk to the person with your life quite literally in his hands.” he shot back, twiddling the shock collar remote in his fingers. Ahsoka continued glaring at him but said nothing else. He had her and he knew it. He seemed to take pleasure in her obedience and turned to the control panel, inputting new coordinates. “Twelve hours until we arrive. That’s plenty of time for some fun.” Her heart dropped.  
-  
Bane’s ship touched down in the hangar of the Stygeon Prime prison. The cold, crisp air washed over Ahsoka’s skin as she stumbled down the ramp with a gun pressed between her shoulder blades. Tears stained her face but she put her chin up in defiance. She couldn’t show weakness. Her master would find her and maybe not everything would be ok but she could do it. She could survive. Her breath caught as she saw Dooku making his way toward them. ‘Kriff’ He stopped in front of the pair, looking mildly surprised. “You… seemed more impressive in holograms.”  
“So did you.” She shot back but he didn’t react other than the smallest hint of annoyance. He handed Bane a brown bag that clinked as it was set down in his hand. In return, Bane handed him the collar controller and shoved her forward a little.   
Bane tipped his hat to Dooku and smirked, “Pleasure doing business with you.” Dooku signalled to a couple magnaguards off to the side. Each grabbed one of her arms in their cold metal claws. It may have been her imagination but Ahsoka could have sworn Dooku looked disgusted with Bane. Off they marched, Dooku leading the way. Ahsoka tried to memorize the path they took. First a left then a right followed by two lefts, a right and… another right? Or was it a left? Kriff. After 20 minutes of painful walking in silence, they arrived in a small room with chains and cuffs connected to the floor. They seemed just long enough to allow the use of the toilet in the corner but not much else.   
“Sit.” Dooku ordered, gesturing to the floor in the center of the chains. Not knowing what else to do, she followed the orders despite the small rebellious part of her urging her to do something-anything- else. Attack him, spit at him, or even just refuse to sit. But she did it anyway, keeping an eye on the collar remote in the corner of her vision. The cuffs activated, offering a low buzzing noise. A droid removed the collar and she could feel the force return to her in a swell of warmth.   
On the other end of her bond with Ankin she was vaguely aware of his panic, worry, and anger but she needed to focus on the situation at hand. She was confused as to why her captors would remove the force collar but embraced this new development. Feeling braver than she had since she first felt Bane’s arm against her throat, she smirked. “Enjoy this while you can. My master is going to come looking for me, you know.” Then her hope was squashed and replaced with dread as Dooku smiled wickedly.  
“I know. That’s the plan.” With that, he left and she was alone other than one magna guard that remained outside the door. Ahsoka just sat there for a moment, taking time to reflect on what had happened less than a day ago she was joking around with Anakin. A week ago she was at the temple assisting Master Yoda with the younglings. She was so proud of how far they had come. She hoped she would be able to make it to their youngling graduation in two weeks. She hoped she would be alive then.   
Now instead of joking with her master of helping the younglings, she was lying on the cold metal ground of a cell in mental and physical pain with all her limbs bound and no chance of escape. She didn’t know how it had come to this. The adrenalynn that had been keeping her going for the past hours finally ran out and she felt completely exhausted. Ahsoka cried herself to sleep. 

Anakin  
Anakin didn’t know if he would make it in time to stop the ship. He hoped but he didn’t know. He pulled out his comm. “Rex, tell your men not to let anyone off this planet. They have Ahsoka.” He ran as he spoke.  
“Sir? Who has the commander?”  
“Bane.” He snapped. “Bane that disgusting sleemo. I don’t know what his ship looks like but he is not to leave with her, understand?”  
“Yes, sir. I’ll let them know.” Anakin kept running until he made it out of the fortress. It exploded behind him, the timer having just ran out. He was just in time to watch Bane’s ship fly away. Some clone fighters shot at the ship and Anakin could see some damage. His breath caught. He wanted the ship to come down but he didn’t want Ahsoka in danger. His chest felt tight and he couldn’t breathe as he just stared at the ship. Smoke was trailing it and it was continuously fired upon. As much as he didn’t want the ship to crash and potentially hurt Ahsoka as it came down, when the ship made it to hyperspace Anakin’s heart sank.   
Anakin reached out to Ahsoka through their bond and started to panic when he couldn’t feel her presence on the other end. His mind went to worst case scenarios of her death until he felt it. It was faint, but there. Her presence was muted- probably with force suppressors- but she was there. He barked into his comm, “Hawk, have some of your men attempt to trail them. Everyone else, retreat and get back to the Resolute. We’ll regroup and go from there.”  
Back on the Resolute, Anakin’s adrenalin wore off and he just felt exhausted. He was in no mood to deal with Obi-wan but his old master called. “Anakin, you look exhausted.”  
“Yeah well having your padawan taken from you by a sick bounty hunter will do that to you.” Obi-wan’s teasing expression fell off his face.  
“What? Anakin, what happened?”  
“Bane. He took Ahsoka. He just… took her. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to split up. I knew it and I just… let it happen. And now that sleemo has her and we need to get her back.” Obi-wan’s usually-serene face was covered in concern.  
“I’ll let the council know and start looking for information on where she could be kept.” Anakin nodded his head in acknowledgement but looked away. “Anakin, we’ll find her.”  
“We will.” Anakin agreed, “No matter what.”  
The pilots returned empty-handed. Bane had escaped and was somewhere in the galaxy. The only clue they had was that he seemed to be heading Galactic North. Currently, Anakin stood on the bridge of the Resolute, glaring at nothing and everything. He looked every bit a general. His face was fierce with determination and his stance battle-ready. He looked prepared to go to war. The soldiers seemed to shy away from him. The only one brave enough to approach him was the Captain. As Rex approached, Anakin’s head snapped towards him, briefly hoping that Rex brought good news, but Rex only told him that Obi-wan had arrived. The small flame of hope flickered out. Anakin nodded in thanks to his Captain and approached the landing bay.   
-  
It was over 13 hours before there was any change. One moment they were just as hopeless as when she first disappeared. They had no idea where Ahsoka had been taken. Then, all at once Ahsoka’s force signature returned. Anakin sensed pain and fear yet bravery. That was his Ahsoka. He could sense her location- not an exact location but a general area. Somewhere near Mandalorian space. Mandalore was neutral but perhaps somewhere near Dathomir? There were a lot of Seperatist worlds nearby Mandalore. Anakin shouted for Yularen to set course for Mandalore. They could identify the specific world once they got nearby. Then Anakin felt cold dread through his and Ahsoka’s bond and fear once again gripped his chest. He didn’t know what was happening to Ahsoka but what he could feel from her was not a good sign. The dread slowly subsided and was replaced with loneliness. Anakin called for Yularen to go faster- to push the Resolute as fast as it could go. Anakin was relieved when he finally felt Ahsoka fall asleep. If she was asleep she wasn’t in pain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist

It's going to be Anakin POV only   
It was over 13 hours before there was any change. One moment they were just as hopeless as when she first disappeared. They had no idea where Ahsoka had been taken. Then, all at once Ahsoka’s force signature returned. Anakin sensed pain and fear yet bravery. That was his Ahsoka. He could sense her location- not an exact location but a general area. Somewhere near Mandalorian space. Mandalore was neutral but perhaps somewhere near Dathomir? There were a lot of Seperatist worlds nearby Mandalore. Anakin shouted for Yularen to set course for Mandalore. They could identify the specific world once they got nearby. Then Anakin felt cold dread through his and Ahsoka’s bond and fear once again gripped his chest. He didn’t know what was happening to Ahsoka but what he could feel from her was not a good sign. The dread slowly subsided and was replaced with loneliness. Anakin called for Yularen to go faster- to push the Resolute as fast as it could go. Anakin was relieved when he finally felt Ahsoka fall asleep. If she was asleep she wasn’t in pain.  
-  
Obi-wan eventually convinced Anakin to get some sleep, reasoning that he couldn’t fight Bane properly if he was dead on his feet. While Anakin slept, the nightmares returned- Ahsoka screaming and calling for him before dying. When he awoke, there was no relief from the pain because what woke him up was a disturbance from the force. He could feel horrible pain, horrendous pain across his bond with Ahsoka. Panic and fear gripped his chest but he wasn’t sure if it was his or his own. Anakin stumbled out of his quarters and saw Obi-wan rushing towards him. “Ahsoka- she, Anakin began. Obi-wan cut him off with a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
“I know, Anakin. I felt it too. But we need to trust in the force and trust in her. We’re almost there.” Anakin nodded and pulled his arms close to his body. He hated feeling useless. On a battlefield he could throw himself into the fight. But here on the ship all he could do was stand there, urging the ship to go faster and feeling useless. But Ahsoka’s pain didn’t stop. It just got worse and Anakin ended up sitting on the floor of the hallway, his back against the wall and half hugging Obi-wan sat beside him. He felt like a padawn again with his master holding him. He kept telling himself that Ahsoka would be okay. He would save her. Ahsoka would be okay. Then the pain hit again, this time worse than before. And his bond with Ahsoka snapped.  
Cold rushed through his veins like he had taken a bath in ice water. Anakin looked towards Obi-wan with wide eyes, an unspoken question on his lips. Obi-wan’s face was as white as marble and Anakin’s fears were confirmed. Obi-wan felt the snap too.  
“Maybe… maybe she’s just somewhere the force can’t reach. Maybe the sith have some new tech that-”  
“Anakin. No. You know that isn’t what we felt. Ahsoka,” Obi-wan’s voice broke, “Ahsoka is gone, Anakin.”  
“No!” Anakin yelled and stood up, “No! You’re wrong. We just need to go faster. We can get there and dismantle the tech and save her and it’ll all be okay.” Obi-wan just looked at him with pity. Anakin hated pity.   
“Anakin,” Obi-wan murmured. Anakin could feel the grief coming from Obi-wan. Anakin hated the grief because Ahsoka wasn’t dead. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be.   
“You’re wrong.” Anakin growled then stomped off towards the bridge. Before he got very far, however, Rex intercepted him.   
“Sir, do you have further information about where we’re going? Estimated time of arrival at Mandalore is eight standard hours.” Anakin just stared for a moment. It was like he was watching himself stand there but wasn’t actually in his body. Obi-wan’s voice came from somewhere behind him.  
“Captain, tell the men to pull out of hyperspace.”  
“But sir-”  
“Commander Tano is dead, Rex.”


	4. Elsewhere

She couldn’t tell how long she had been asleep but if she had to guess it might have been three or four hours. By now, she figured, Anakin would have realized she was off planet and would be on the Resolute to regroup and talk with the council on how to proceed. Then… maybe a week at most until she was rescued depending on how things worked out. Okay she could do this. She could last a week.   
As the minutes turned into hours, she began to meditate. It was something she could never sit still long enough to do at the temple but with the cuffs, moving wasn’t even an option at the moment. It calmed her and allowed her a moment of peace. She could sense a dark force nearby but it was far enough away she wasn’t currently in immediate danger.   
The innumerable droids were worrying but they seemed to be ignoring her for now other than the one magnaguard stationed outside her door. So she allowed the peace of the force to envelope her and for a moment she was calm.   
But nothing lasts forever and good things last even less. The dark force signature began moving towards her and her eyes flew open as he approached the cell. Her meditation had given Ahsoka renewed energy and she felt brave- brave enough to coldly address him, “Count Poodoo.” His eye twitched in annoyance at the nickname she had picked up from one of the children in the creche and she made a mental note to tell the little twi-lek boy if she ever made it out alive.  
“It’s been 18 hours since you disappeared and your master hasn’t made any progress on your rescue. I’m a busy man. We need to provide him with a little more… motivation.” Before she could question what he meant, Dooku signalled to the magnaguards. They approached, brandishing electrostaffs and plunged them against her skin.   
At first, Ahsoka tried to show no pain but as it continued she screamed. Each plunge brought a white-hot burning sensation and it seemed to continue without end. ‘Why?’ she begged the force, ‘why is he doing this?’ when it dawned on her. Her master was the chosen one, said to bring balance to the force. Both sides would do whatever it took to get him on their side. And what better way than to lock him up in a prison until he turns? And why risk everything trying to capture him when you can get him to just walk into a top security prison? It’s a trap. And these beatings are to draw him out. Dooku was a Jedi once upon a time. He would know about the training bond because he would have had one with Master Yoda and then Master Jinn so he would know that Anakin could feel her pain. The electrostaff strikes continued but her mind kept racing. If Anakin came to rescue her then he could be captured. If he was captured then the Republic would fall. If the Republic fell then people would die. The lessons she was taught as a youngling came back to her. Every life was sacred. She would give her own life to protect the countless others that would be lost if the Republic fell. The only way Anakin would stop looking for her would be…  
If she died.  
In that moment she knew what she had to do. The code wouldn’t allow her to take an unarmed person’s life, even if it was her own. As the next blow came, she didn’t try to shield Anakin from the worst of it through the bond. She let him feel every part and every ache and pain. And then she cut it and every other bond she could. Gone were all the minor bonds- Plo Koon, Barriss Offee, Obi-wan Kenobi. And she had never felt more alone. Yet, she knew this was for the best. The Republic must survive, no matter the cost. And anyway, she could escape herself. Right?  
The electrostaff attacks continued for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, it was probably only an hour. Dooku looked down at her twitching, severely burned, unmoving body and nodded in approval. “Your master better hurry… if he wants any chance of seeing you one final time.” He addressed a medical droid beside him, “Make sure she doesn’t die until her master arrives but no medical assistance other than what is strictly necessary to ensure survival.” With one last glance at her crumpled form, he left. After placing a small amount of bacta on one severe burn on her stomach, the medical droid left the cell too though it stayed just outside the door. Now that the pain wasn’t bad enough to cloud her mind, Ahsoka shifted to a slightly more comfortable position away from the rest of her lunch she threw up during the small attack and began to plan.   
Dooku had no idea she had cut off the bond so he was still expecting her master to show up any moment. Except… he had known earlier that Anakin hadn’t even started the search. How? Unless… there’s a mole in the republic. She knew the council had suspected the existence of a mole for a while but she had thought it was just that- a suspicion. If Dooku knew something that classified within hours of it happening, someone would have to be leaking secrets. So few people would be privy to the location of the chosen one. There were the soldiers on the Resolute, the members of the council, and maybe a handful of officers outside the order that would know. Twelve council members, maybe 10 or so officers, and the clones of the 501st… so 22 plus however many clones there were possible suspects. Well… that was a start at least. Then again, the information was useless unless she could get out of there.  
With a mole in the republic, it wouldn’t be long until her ‘death’ made it back to Dooku. Would he try to prove she was alive? It would be suspicious though. Dooku was counting on her master blindly walking into a prison, thinking it was a simple rescue mission. However, if Dooku publicized her survival, it would make the jedi stop and think for a moment about why he would want her to be rescued. The council would never let the Chosen One walk into a trap. Either they would send someone more experienced or… she was just a Padawan. The council didn’t come looking for her when she was captured by Transdoshans. That was all Anakin.   
Had she ever heard of a rescue mission for a padawan? And it wasn’t as if the council liked her. They had grown tired of the constant disobedience and recklessness she exhibited. Would they even deem her worthy of rescue? Even if the mole didn’t leak her ‘death’ to Dooku, she would have maybe a week. A week of him waiting for her master only for him not to show up. And the first day was coming to an end. She laid there in pain and tried to come to terms with the fact that she might only have four more days left to live.


End file.
